Portrait of a seafarer, Jacob

Artist — Damien Mitchell

The Outlaw Ocean Mural Project helped open my eyes to the brutal realities experienced by those working at sea. The stories in the book were thrilling, tragic and heartbreaking. For my mural, I spent a long time thinking about what I had read. I chose to paint a portrait of a seafarer looking towards the ocean, his expression reflecting the pain of what he experienced at sea. There were many parts of the book that affected me, but the low value placed on the lives of the seafarers was particularly striking.

My art allows viewers to interpret what they see in their own way. The power of public art like this is that it is accessible to all and can open a public dialogue. I consider myself lucky to be able to create art and use it as a way to synthesize my thoughts and express my emotions. I was fortunate to participate in this project, which allowed me to address a gut-wrenching topic.